


Life Lessons

by Peasantaries



Series: these paths, that keep crossing [9]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha Victor Nikiforov, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Best Friends, Childhood Friends, Jealousy, Kid Fic, M/M, Mates, Omega Katsuki Yuuri, Possessive Behavior, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, True Mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-03 18:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11537880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Peasantaries/pseuds/Peasantaries
Summary: Chris has drawn somebody in crayon; and they've got long, white hair, with a big smiling mouth in the shape of a heart, coloured in pink.Yuuri feels a stab right to his chest.Viktor's mouth falls open, and he stares up at the paper."It's – it's Viktor's hair, 'cause it's like the moon, see?" Chris reaches up and tries to point with a finger.Yuuri crosses his arms and huffs, his bottom lip jutting out.Yuuri has some things to learn now /// art of baby Yuuri's face isbeautiful





	1. Crayons and Lunchtime

**Author's Note:**

> HEEE-LOO!!
> 
> I am so sorry for my long absence, but I've actually been writing some of my own original novel!! It's a rewrite from a previous draft, and it's taken a lot longer than I hoped, but I'm getting there.
> 
> On the last update, I called out for some beta-readers, and I just want to thank everyone that came forward! It truly means so much, and a massive shout out to Lara, Elliot, and Mimi, your feedback is invaluable!! all the love <33
> 
> I'm still open to beta-readers, so if you're interested at all in reading some of my original work, please let me know! My email is balchatri00@gmail.com
> 
> Anyways, thank you all that have stuck with this series, and waited so patiently for updates!! I can't thank you enough to the comments and all the appreciation on this series! <33
> 
> If anyone is curious about the ratings, I've decided to label the updates where Viktor and Yuuri's natures come out more - in terms to possessiveness etc - as teen and up, and ones where their natures don't really appear as much, as general audiences!

Makkachin quickly becomes a part of Yuuri's life, and then he's taking her out for walks, and shopping at the store for special puppy food, and mama and papa are buying books on how to look after puppies, and watching videos online, and running about after Makkachin a bit like crazy.

But Yuuri loves her most of all, and at night Makkachin isn't happy unless she's curled up in bed beside him. She's just so _fluffy_ , she feels like a pillow, and most of the time Yuuri will cuddle her in his sleep, and she'll wriggle until she's comfy, and then they'll both fall asleep in seconds _flat._

And then Viktor comes over to play with her. They throw balls for her to chase, and Makkachin will trip up and fall over to get to them.

Viktor and Yuuri laugh whenever she does that, because it just looks so silly, and they roll around in the mud with her, and everything is good, everything is great.

So that's why, in class, Yuuri doesn't really understand why he gets so upset.

But they're drawing with their crayons for a little while before reading time, and Yuuri is just scribbling with the red one, drawing circles and shapes because he's not much good at art anyways.

"Alright everyone, let’s see what you've drawn."

Miss Minako goes around the class and peers down at everyone's paper, and she passes Yuuri and Viktor's table with a smile, because Viktor has mostly drawn the same as Yuuri, only with the green crayon, because they were taking turns with colours.

"Alright, well that's – oh, Chris, what is this?"

Chris sits at their table as well, and he goes pink when Miss Minako peers over, and hides his paper with his arms.

"It's – is jus' –" he turns his head to speak to Miss Minako.

"Hm, you don't want me to see?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. "I can move on if you want, and not show everyone the lovely drawing you've done."

Chris blinks up at her, as if thinking about it, and then he pulls back.

Miss Minako takes the paper, and then blinks. "Well, this is lovely. Is this Viktor?"

Yuuri's head tilts, and then Miss Minako turns the paper around to let the class see.

Chris has drawn somebody in crayon; and they've got long, white hair, with a big smiling mouth in the shape of a heart, coloured in pink.

Yuuri feels a stab right to his chest.

Viktor's mouth falls open, and he stares up at the paper.

"It's – it's Viktor's hair, 'cause it's like the moon, see?" Chris reaches up and tries to point with a finger.

Yuuri crosses his arms and huffs, his bottom lip jutting out.

Viktor's cheeks have gone red, and he touches his hair gently. "Is it – me?" He asks, and Chris nods, beaming.

"Thank you, Chris!" Viktor says, and gives him a beam – gives him Yuuri's beam, that he only does for Yuuri, the one that stretches his mouth and squints his eyes.

Chris goes red all over, and he's smiling too.

"I think this deserves to go up on the wall." Miss Minako says, and then gets a pin and sticks it onto the Board of Achievements. "I think you should be really proud, Chris."

Chris smiles up at Miss Minako, and Yuuri crosses his arms even tighter, sinking into his seat. He looks at his silly scribbles, and feels his jaw ache a bit strangely.

Yuuri just shoves his paper away and huffs.

Only then it's reading time, and Yuuri mostly forgets about it all, and then at playtime, Viktor and Yuuri go out with their lunchboxes and sit on the grass, joining Yuuko and Phichit at their spot.

But then JJ crosses over to them, and he just stands there with his arms crossed.

"I think Viktor's hair looks like a girl’s." He says.

Viktor gapes, his mouth dropping open, and Yuuri stands up in an instant.

"That's so rude." He shouts, and balls up a tiny fist. "Boys can have long hair too!"

"Not as long as Viktor’s." JJ says.

"What's going on over here?" Miss Minako appears, and then some of the other people on the playground are coming over to see what all the fuss is about.

"JJ is being. _So. Mean._ To Viktor!" Yuuri doesn't know why, maybe it's with every going on today, but his eyes water. "And I don't even know _why!"_

"I jus' said that Viktor has hair like a girl’s!" JJ defends, looking upset now, which serves him right. "It's true!"

"But did you say it nicely?" Miss Minako asks, raising an eyebrow. “Hm? Haven’t we spoke about how things can sound sometimes?”

"I love Viktor's hair!" Chris shouts, appearing from the crowd.

Viktor has been quiet, staring down at lunchbox, but when Chris shouts that, his head shoots up like a lightning bolt.

Chris stamps his way over, and crosses his arms. "I love it, so I don't know why JJ has to be mean about it!"

"I _wasn't!"_ JJ shouts, his voice going all strained all if he's about to cry.

"Alright, I think we need to have a talk about how we speak to others." Miss Minako says, and takes JJ's hand.

But Chris is still standing beside Viktor, and Viktor is looking up at him.

"Do you really?" Viktor asks.

Chris blinks, and then nods. "I never saw hair like yours!" He says. "It's the _shiniest."_ He states.

Viktor giggles, and Yuuri just watches it all.

He's just watching, and then Viktor tilts his head and goes, "you can touch it, if you want."

Chris lights up, and then his big hand comes down onto Viktor's head and starts patting, and Yuuko turns to him, asking, "can I?"

"Of course!" Viktor laughs, nodding. "Everyone can touch it!"

"Viktor –" Yuuri starts, because his chest feels too tight and hurting.

But then Yuuko reaches out with a hand to feel it, and then Phichit is touching it too, and before he knows it, the rest of the class are all crowding around Viktor, touching him, patting him, pulling at him.

"Viktor –" Yuuri tries again.

"How did you grow it?" Yuuko asks.

"I dunno!" Viktor says. "I had it all my life!"

Yuuri feels his bottom lip start to wobble, because Viktor is just _ignoring him._ He's called Viktor's name _twice now_ , and it makes him want to shout and cry because his chest hurts too much and why can't Viktor feel it, surely he should be able to feel it, like when he felt Yuuri falling, and Yuuri felt it when Viktor was upset on his first day here.

"Viktor!" Yuuri shouts, balls up both his fists.

But it does nothing. Nobody turns to look at him, and Viktor is too busy talking about his hair to pay attention to Yuuri, and Yuuri just stands there, ignored.

Yuuri spins on his heel and runs away, runs right to the office, and before he knows it, the tears have escaped and they're running all down his face, and he sniffles, but snot has mixed with his tears, and he rubs at his face with fisted hands.

"Oh honey, are you okay?" One of the nurses asks, bending to him.

 _"No!"_ Yuuri shouts, chest hitching. "I wan' - wanna go home!" He shouts.

The nurse tries to talk to him, tries to ask what's wrong and why he wants to go home, but Yuuri just keeps shaking his head, just keeps shouting _home, home,_ just keeps crying.

They must have called his mama while he was crying, because she comes through the door looking rushed and worried, and takes one look at Yuuri before she's running to him.

"Mama!" Yuuri shouts, and runs to her, and then he's taken up into her arms.

"Oh no, no, no." Mama tuts as she wipes his face. "What's all this about?" She asks

Yuuri takes a deep breath.

"I'm never ever speaking to Viktor, ever again!" He shouts.

Mama blinks at him. "Oh dear."


	2. Letters and Drawings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I shouted on Viktor three times n’ he didn’ even listen.” Yuuri says glumly._
> 
> _“Mm.” Mama starts. “Why is that?”_
> 
> _“‘Cause he was too busy talkin’ to Chris and e’rybody about his hair and I said – I was saying, like this, ‘Viktor! Viktor!’ and he just kept goin’ –” Yuuri sits up a bit and tosses his head around, pretending to flick his hair back._
> 
> _Mama laughs again. “Did he now?” She grins, watching him. ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIYA THERE!! So I'm finally back with a whopper of a chapter, the longest in the entire series! Ahhh, that seems to happen a lot!
> 
> Also! The last chapter, guys!!!!! That was the most comments I've ever gotten on _one _chapter! I'm still reeling! I honestly can't thank you enough, every single comment means so much and I treasure all your thoughts and feelings and I just love how much you all love this series!!__
> 
> ALSO!! the-not-so-chill-fangirl drew [fanart](https://the-not-so-chill-fangirl.tumblr.com/post/163387427607/okay-so-this-is-the-finished-version-of-the-post) of baby's Yuuri's face when he was shouting for Viktor, and it's melted me. Honestly, anybody who draws fanart for me will receive a lot of screeches and I will personally link it back to the series.  
> 

When they get home, Yuuri unbuckles his own seatbelt and just rushes inside, stomping up the stairs to his room, and he closes his door with a big _bang_ , stretching on his toes to reach it before he slams it shut.

Downstairs, mama sighs.

Papa is still at work, and Mari will still be at school, and so Yuuri goes over to his bed and crosses his arm tight over his chest and sits there, in a huff.

There’s a gentle knock on the door.

“Can I come in?” Mama calls.

“No!” Yuuri shouts, and feels his lip jutting out again.

“Sure?” Mama asks. “I have cookies.”

Yuuri thinks for a moment. Then he gets up off the bed and goes to open the door.

Mama is holding a plate with cookies in it, and Yuuri goes to reach up for one, but she tuts and goes over to his bed, sitting down before patting the space beside her.

Yuuri hops up.

“Now.” Mama begins. “Do you want to tell me what happened, and then have a cookie afterwards?”

Yuuri huffs, turning his mouth down. “You tric’ed me.” He tells her, looking at the plate sadly. “That was sneaky.”

Mama chuckles warmly, and reaches out to ruffle his hair. Yuuri shuffles forward until he’s pressed into her side, and closes his eyes as she begins stroking fingers through his hair.

“I shouted on Viktor _three_ times n’ he didn’ even _listen_.” Yuuri says glumly.

“Mm.” Mama starts. “Why is that?”

“‘Cause he was too busy talkin’ to Chris and e’rybody about his hair and I said – I was saying, like this, _‘Viktor! Viktor!’_ and he just kept goin’ –” Yuuri sits up a bit and tosses his head around, pretending to flick his hair back.

Mama laughs again. “Did he now?” She grins, watching him.

Yuuri pouts. “S isn’t _funny_ , and so then I was just fed up and I run away, and then the nurse got you, and that’s it.” He crosses his arms again.

Mama sighs, a long, long sigh. “Well.” She begins. “Do you think maybe Viktor was distracted?”

“No!” Yuuri whines. “Be’cus I shouted _three whole times_ ,” Yuuri holds up three of his fingers right in Mama’s face.

“So you think he heard, and just kept talking anyway?”

Yuuri bites his lip, and thinks about it. He doesn’t really think Viktor did that, because his head was turned away, and everybody was laughing and pulling at his hair and talking. Maybe, _maybe_ , he just didn’t hear Yuuri, but still. _Three times_ , and all the times Viktor is upset or sad, Yuuri can feel it and he makes it better _always_ , so he doesn’t know why Viktor couldn’t feel _him_.

“No.” He admits. “But when Viktor is sad, I know, so Viktor _must have_ knowed it.”

Mama goes to open her mouth, only there’s a knock on the door.

Mama turns, and raises her eyebrows to him. “Wonder who that could be?” She murmurs.

Yuuri’s heart starts beating double as hard, and he gapes as she stands up and crosses over to the door.

“If it’s Viktor, tell him!” Yuuri starts, rushing after her. “Say how I’d shouted – tell him –” Yuuri is tumbling down the stairs after her, and he clatters down so much that he bumps into Mama’s back just as he opens the door.

“Hiya there, we were just worried –” Yuuri hears Viktor’s mama.

“YUURI!” Viktor shouts from behind her, wrangling between her legs to get in through the doorway.

 _“No!”_ Yuuri shouts, because he’s still mad, and Viktor was _rude_.

Viktor stops, his mouth dropping open as he stares with wide eyes.

“You!” Yuuri points. “You was too busy with your _hair_ , and I called your name _three times_ , and you never even noticed!” He stamps a foot down. “I looked _silly!_ And like nobody was even my friend!” A fresh wave of hurt sweeps over him at the memory of it, and Yuuri’s eyes water up and go all wet, his lip trembling.

Viktor blinks, and his eyes are wide and a bit watery too, all red and swollen as he’s been crying lots. “Yuuri, _no.”_ He says, his voice all croaky and sore. “That’s _not_ what happened, I turned around and you weren’t _anywhere_ , and I looked and _looked_ , and even asked _JJ,_ but nobody knew, and I got so scared I thought you were lost, and then the nurse said you went home early, and I got more worried, and mama took me _straight here.”_

Yuuri huffs, crossing his arms and turning away _. “Still,_ you didn’ even listen when I was callin’ on you.” He sniffs, turning away.

Yuuri knows that Viktor is probably sad now, and he’s also most likely really sorry about it all, but that doesn’t take it away, it doesn’t make it _better_. He wants Viktor to feel _twice_ as bad as he did, he wants Viktor to feel _double-bad_ , and maybe that’s not fair, but it is the way it is and that’s that.

“Yuuri –”

“No.” Yuuri stamps his foot again. “If you’re not even sorry, then I don’t want to be best friends anymore!”

Viktor gapes, his eyes going rounder than saucers, and the they’re filling with tears and spilling over. “That’s _not very nice!”_ He cries, and his face goes all screwed up tight and Yuuri feels pain in his chest and it hurts, a whole lot, but he stomps his foot.

“I don’t even care!” He shouts, and turns on his heel and runs away.

 

*

The next day at school, Yuuri is nervous.

He’s nervous because if he goes in, he can’t talk to Viktor, because he’s still mad, but what if Viktor tries to talk to him? Or what if Viktor doesn’t try to talk to him? What if Viktor ignores him again? Or tells all his friends not to speak to Yuuri either?

His heart is going _boom boom_ in his chest, but not in the good way that it does when he’s happy and he’s with Viktor –

Yuuri balls his hands into fists, because Viktor isn’t his friend any longer. It doesn’t make him happy when he’s with Viktor. Viktor ignored him, and he’s not even feeling that much sorry, so Yuuri won’t talk to him ever ever again.

When he steps into the classroom, he hangs his coat up on the coat rack and joins the rest of the class on the floor.

He can see Viktor in the side of his vision, casting glances his way and trying to catch his eye, but Yuuri sits straight with his legs crossed into a basket and ignores it.

It’s only when Yuuri goes over to their table that Viktor quietly sidles over to his seat, standing over him and not going to his own chair.

Yuuri pretends he doesn’t see Viktor.

“Yuuri.” Viktor murmurs, scuffing his feet.

Yuuri picks a crayon out his box and doesn’t look at Viktor.

 _“Yuu_ -ri.” Viktor whines, but Yuuri doesn’t answer at all, he doesn’t even look anywhere _near_ Viktor.

He just juts his chin out and starts colouring in.

“Fine.” Viktor sulks, and goes over to his seat.

It’s the one right next to Yuuri.

Viktor sits down, getting his paper from the tray and his pencils, and he’s just touched the blue pencil to his empty sheet when he turns around.

“Yuuri, it’s not tha’ I didn’ even notice, I was feelin’ sad becus’ nobody even liked my hair and JJ was being mean and I though’ that’s why I felt so bad but then I saw’d you were gone and I got _really_ worried –”

“Viktor!” Miss Minako begins. “No more talking, this is quiet time.”

Viktor’s mouth snaps shut, and he leans away and starts his drawing.

Yuuri is silent, the only sounds both of their quiet breathing and the rest of the classroom colouring in, scribbling on paper and rubbing things out. Chris is quiet too, and he doesn’t try to talk to them, just colours in his paper and wriggles around on his seat to do it.

Yuuri glances at him sometimes, and scrunches up his eyes when he does.

“Look.” Viktor whispers after a while, and slides his paper across the paper. “Look, I draw’d you.”

Yuuri turns his head.

“Look.” Viktor keeps pushing the paper forward, so much that it brushes Yuuri’s arm, but Yuuri doesn’t lift his arm, and Viktor doesn’t stop pushing it, and so the end of it crinkles into Yuuri’s skin.

 _“Yuuri,”_ Viktor whines, low in his throat, and starts pulling the paper back only to push it forward again repeatedly, still getting all wrinkled every time it crushes into Yuuri’s arm.

“Vikor, stop it.” Yuuri breaks the silence finally, before he can even help it, but Viktor doesn’t look happy – no, he looks even more miserable, and Yuuri feels a pang before he huffs and stands to go put his crayons back.

 

*

Yuuri is eating his snack at playtime in the courtyard with Phichit when Yuuko crosses over to them.

“Viktor wants to tell you something.” She states.

Yuuri puts down his sandwich. He sees Viktor standing not far away, biting his thumbnail and watching them, but he ducks around the corner when he notices Yuuri glancing over.

“Tell _Viktor_ he can tell _me_ all by _himself_.” Yuuri states, and picks up his sandwich again, taking a big bite.

Yuuko lets out a gust of breath and treks back over.

Yuuri can’t help glancing over, and he sees Yuuko talking, and then Viktor steps close, cupping his hands around her ear and whispering so that Yuuri can’t hear, even though Yuuri couldn’t hear anyways, he’s not _super_.

Yuuko makes her way over, and Phichit and Yuuri watch her silently.

She puts her hands on her hips.

“Viktor says you won’t speak to him.” She says.

Yuuri crosses his arms. “Tell Viktor he knows why.”

“I’m not playing all day!” Yuuko shouts. “I wan’ed to play hopscotch with Mila!”

Yuuri stands up, and looks over to where Viktor is standing glum, his feet all twisted up and his head bent toward the ground. It makes a sharp stab go through him, but he screws his eyes up, and leans over with his hands around his mouth to whisper into Yuuko’s ear.

“Tell Viktor I says I’m still mad, but I’m thinking about it.”

He steps back, and Yuuko frowns.

“Thinking about what?”

“Just _tell him!”_ Yuuri says, and stomps a foot. “It’s not any of your business!”

Yuuko sticks her tongue out, and then goes over.

Yuuri watches Yuuko deliver his message, stand close to whisper it into Viktor’s ear.

He watches Viktor’s shoulder sag, and the way he nods before looking over to Yuuri. Yuuri tears his gaze away lighting fast, picking up his half-eaten sandwich again and scurrying to pretend he wasn’t looking.

When Yuuko skips away to join the girls, though, Yuuri looks up.

Viktor is sitting by himself, picking up the grass with his legs crossed and running his fingers through. Yuuri sees Chris hop up after a while, but Viktor shakes his head and just carries on.

Yuuri bites his lip.

There are no more messages.

 

*

Yuuri waits in the boy’s bathroom until he’s _sure_ everyone has gone home, and all the mamas and papas have picked everybody up, before he tiptoes out.

He sees mama waiting, bringing her wrist up to check her watch, and then she spots Yuuri.

“Yuuri!” She calls. “What took you? I was getting worried!”

Yuuri lifts a finger and puts it up to his mouth, and then he waves her over and sneaks back into the classroom.

“Yuuri, what are you doing?” Mama asks, huffing, but she follows.

Yuuri goes over to the board where all the drawings are put up, and there, right beside his squiggly drawing of a dragon –

He knows it’s Viktor’s, not because Viktor always puts _VN_ at the bottom of his drawings because he says that’s what all the artists do, but because he knows Viktor’s drawings anywhere, even in a museum.

There’s a boy in the drawing, with black circles for glasses and a big smiling mouth, and his hair is black too.

But there are arrows, pointing from parts in the drawing to words written above.

 _Yuuri has the shiniest hair,_ says an arrow going from the top of his head. _Yuuri has the nicest glasses_ , says the arrow beside his face. _Yuuri has the most greatest smile_ , says the line going from his mouth.

But underneath the whole drawing, instead of VN, it says, _Yuuri is the bestest best friend._

Yuuri stares up for a long time.

“This what Viktor drew?” Mama asks.

Yuuri nods, quiet. Then he reaches up, takes mama’s hand, and leaves.

He already forgave Viktor at playtime, anyways.

 

*

When they get home, Yuuri is hanging up his jacket and taking off his things when mama calls him.

“Honey, there’s a letter for you on the porch!”

Yuuri scampers to see it, and mama holds up a piece of blue folded paper.

“Wonder who it’s from.” Mama purses her mouth, turning it around. “It just says Yuuri.”

Yuuri takes it from her hand.

_To_

_Yuuurey_

He unfolds it.

_Pleas be my frend, I’m SoRy._

_I want to plaY agen and I don’t WaNt to not talk._

_I miSs you._

Yuuri holds it, and then he feels himself start to smile, because Viktor is really, really, _really_ sorry, and he can’t be any more sorry _at all,_ and he does care about Yuuri, he cares a _lot_

Yuuri hugs the letter to his chest and giggles.

 

*

When Yuuri gets to school the next day, he skips inside, searching for Viktor, before he stops short.

He can’t see Viktor anywhere.

He _always_ knows Viktor, because Viktor’s hair is a tumbling mess down his back, but he can’t see him –

“Surprise.”

Yuuri feels a tap to his shoulder, and whips around, only for his jaw to drop open.

Viktor – Viktor is standing there, but he’s – it’s – his –

 _“What happened!”_ Yuuri squeaks.

Viktor beams, and tosses his head back, the way he usually has to do to get his hair away from his face, only –

“I cut’ted it.” Viktor tells him. “Mama took me yesterday.”

Yuuri can only stare.

The rest of the class have noticed by now, and they’re all rushing over, and everyone is asking questions and shouting over one another and trying to touch Viktor’s newly-cut, short hair, that just flops over his forehead a bit and touches his ears, and _ends_ , because it’s all gone, but Viktor’s eyes are on him.

 _“Why?”_ Yuuri’s mouth is still hanging open.

“Becus’ you thought I care'd more about my hair than you.” Viktor tells him defiantly, and tosses his head again. “When there’s just nothing I care about _more_ than you.”

Viktor’s eyes are brighter without his hair falling into them all the time, Yuuri can really see them, and they’re focused on him, they’re not looking anywhere else.

Yuuri steps forward and crashes into Viktor’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also! I'm still looking for beta readers of my novel, if anybody is interested at all. Please email me at balchatri00@gmail.com, and let me know if you're interested!!

**Author's Note:**

> Oh noes, that was a lot of tears. But things always work out in the end <333
> 
> I'm also Peasantaries on [Tumblr](https://peasantaries.tumblr.com/), [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/peasantaries), and [ Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/peasantaries/)! Come over and talk to me! I'll never bite <33
> 
> If you want to find ways to support me, you can find them there! (*^▽^*)( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ


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